Asialaw Profiles
The Guide to the legal markets of the Asia-Pacific

“Allen & Gledhill LLP is a professional firm with committed lawyers and great client service,” remarks one peer. And the firm’s shipping, maritime and aviation practice is no exception. “Let me put it this way, I’ve always worked with the firm,” says one client.

Headed up by litigator Vivian Ang, and shipping finance and aviation specialist Gina Lee-Wan, the group impressed this year on a series of significant mandates. Most notably, partner Kenny Yap advised a Singapore Exchange listed shipyard in relation to the early delivery of a partially completed pipe laying vessel. The US$210 million deal involved complex technical as well as legal issues relating to the transfer not only of the vessel but of equipment, documents, drawings, plans, warranties and other items to be supplied together with the vessels. The handover was further complicated by unfinished work that had to be done prior to delivery, outstanding installments that had to be paid, warranty guarantees that had to be furnished and licences and approvals that had to be obtained to tow the vessel from the yard.

Corina Song is also a key contact in this space.

It has been an active year for Rajah & Tann’s shipping practice. Under the leadership of Toh Kian Sing, the nine partner group has made significant inroads in the offshore oil and gas sector. For example, it acted for Transocean in a US$100 million rig supply contract dispute with a Philippines exploration company, and advised Daxin Petroleum in a claim brought by First Ship Lease arising out of a sale and leaseback transaction with related actions in Japan, China and Singapore.

In the financing space, the firm benefited from the increasing popularity of offshore bond issues, securing various appointments to act for bond issuers or investors. Most notably, the team advised the placement agents for the PetroSaudi Group in a US$250 million private bonds placement for oil rigs to be deployed in Venezuela.

On the jurisprudence front, the team was involved in 11 out of 16 written shipping/admiralty judgments delivered by Singapore’s High Court in the past year.

Peers expect an equally strong year ahead for the firm, as the addition of six shipping lawyers has bolstered its group to 27 fee earners.

Leong Kah Wah, Jainil Bhandari, Winston Kwek and Ian Teo all come recommended for their contributions in the sector.

Ang & Partners considers shipping as its mainstay practice area.

Established by High Court judge and forming shipping lawyer Belinda Ang, the firm’s team houses four partners. Peers value the team’s experience and, in spite of its small size, rate it highly for technical ability.

Best known for contentious marine work, the team specialises in arbitration and litigation relating to wet and dry work as well as marine insurance, dispute resolution and transactional work.

Partners Loo Dip Seng, Goh Kok Leong, and Gan Seng Chee are key contacts.

Gurbani & Co was founded by partners Prem Gurbani and Richard Kuek and is well regarded in the market for its prowess in the shipping space. Clients particularly value the reliable level of know-how on offer at the shipping focused firm.

The team has particular proficiency in the marine insurance space, counting hull underwriters and international P&I clubs among its clients. Coverage disputes, charterers’ liability and hull and machinery liability matters form the staple mandates of the firm. Respected shipping litigator S Mohan is considered a committed and erudite personality in the market.

Under the guidance of shipping dispute resolution specialist and founding partner Bazul Ashhab, T S Oon & Bazul’s shipping team handles the full spectrum of work in Singapore and across the region.

The firm’s wet work team, headed up by former mariner and partner Goush Marikan, has extensive experience in handling and investigating shipping casualties in the region. But the group also handles dry work including charterparty disputes, bill of lading claims and cargo claims. Peers consider the team’s strength lies in handling highly technical petrochemical cargo contamination cases.

In one highlight this year, Ashhab led a team of advisers acting for charterers of a vessel detained by custom authorities for a year on allegations of theft of state governed property. This case involved coordination with solicitors, and also authorities from different jurisdictions to secure the release of the vessel.

Ashhab and partner Karnan Thirupathy are also acting for intermediate charterers of a vessel detained by pirates in the Indian Ocean for more than eight months, advising on their liability to the head owners and their claim against end charterers.

Co-founder Oon Thian Seng is considered a valuable and knowledgeable contributor in this space.

Peers value Drew & Napier’s shipping and international trade business group for its high level of professionalism.

Under the leadership of well regarded dispute resolution lawyer Werner Tsu, the team has built up an extensive list of clients, including P&I clubs, hull and cargo underwriters, ship owners, shipyards and suppliers.

As correspondents to major P&I clubs, the team has furthered its experience providing both dry and wet work advice, and litigation support. The practice also assists in international arbitrations, injunctions, cargo and hull insurance policy advice, recovery work and charterparty disputes among others.

In a recent highlight, Tsu represented a Norwegian company to seek an indemnity of about US$20 million from a Chinese enterprise for project delays due to the arrest of a vessel arising from a tug and tow accident. Tsu also advised the owners of three oil rigs who are claiming damages against a Middle Eastern company for delays in the deployment of the rigs in the Persian Gulf.

In the shipping and international trade space, TSMP is involved in various charterparty claims. These include the recovery for a shipping group of unpaid charter hire and damages exceeding US$90 million, advising creditors of Korea Line in relation to the charter of various ships, and the recovery of demurrage for PetroChina. The firm is also acting on a cargo contamination dispute involving an international sale of goods transaction with a petrochemical plant that is subject to arbitration.

Executive director Collin Seah and director Ian Lim are notable contacts at the firm.